Is my baby bearded dragon star gazing ?

[Ksandefer94]

Hey guys ! My name is Kenny . I could really use an opinion on my baby beardies charmander . I have two , charmander and V.I.P but charmander is the beardie in question .

I think she might be exhibiting stargazing . I’ll share pictures along with the question . She ate maybe two crickets since I’ve gotten her two days ago . I just installed a better linear uvb 10.0 and that seemed to get her moving around more and she ate a little bit of the mixed vegetables I chopped and mixed for her but she will do this think where she will bask on her two front legs and will kind of look up like you see in the pictures I’ll be sharing along with this post .

I’m worried she might be stargazing and really need opinions from people who know a lot more about bearded dragons than I do currently . I’ve done tons of research frantically the last 24 hours . Hoping you guys can help me out .

 

[xp29]

Hey guys ! My name is Kenny . I could really use an opinion on my baby beardies charmander . I have two , charmander and V.I.P but charmander is the beardie in question .

I think she might be exhibiting stargazing . I’ll share pictures along with the question . She ate maybe two crickets since I’ve gotten her two days ago . I just installed a better linear uvb 10.0 and that seemed to get her moving around more and she ate a little bit of the mixed vegetables I chopped and mixed for her but she will do this think where she will bask on her two front legs and will kind of look up like you see in the pictures I’ll be sharing along with this post .

I’m worried she might be stargazing and really need opinions from people who know a lot more about bearded dragons than I do currently . I’ve done tons of research frantically the last 24 hours . Hoping you guys can help me out . View attachment 98854

Can she put her head down if she decides to? With stargazing they can't. She looks to she like she is just basking.
Stargazing is a symptom of adv. It is one of the neurological components of avd.

 

[Ksandefer94]

Can she put her head down if she decides to? With stargazing they can't. She looks to she like she is just basking.
Stargazing is a symptom of adv. It is one of the neurological components of avd.

She did when I first got her two days ago when she ate a cricket . But she hasn’t aten the one I put in there all day today . I saw her eat a bite or two of her greens today though . But besides that she just kind of basks on her two front legs with her head up like this . I’ve watched her all day today and she hasn’t really put her head down . When she sleeps it’s down though in the laying position . Also her thermometer in the tank is reading 80-85 could this be a problem ? It’s a 10 gallon tank 20 inches wide I’m using a 75 watt bulb for basking and 10.0 t8 linear ivb light as the coil one was crap .

I did notice her moving around more since I put the linear light in . I keep the screen slightly open so the uvb light can get through fully where it’s a t8 and is 8 inches from her basking spot also .

 

[Ksandefer94]

Can she put her head down if she decides to? With stargazing they can't. She looks to she like she is just basking.
Stargazing is a symptom of adv. It is one of the neurological components of avd.

This is her sleeping right now . Also Shes sleeping on the cool side . Is this normal ?

 

[AHBD]

Hi there, this little V.I.P may be dehydrated so give her some drops of water on her snout tomorrow. They usually will lap it up as it drips along their nose and mouth.

A 10 gal. tank is much too small, there's no real way to get a heat gradient and not enough room . Even a temporary plastic tote that is 2 or 3 times that size would be better, with a screen and lights fixed on top.

 

[Sue E.]

Ideally, for a baby, a 40 gallon is best when you can switch her out. Its tough to get a temperature gradient in a smaller tank-she will need a warm side and a cool side. The best uvb is a zoomed t5 10.0 or an Arcadia 12%; t8 can be used for now but Id go to the t5 when you get the larger tank. If you want to skip the 40 gallon size altogether, you can put her right in a 4x2x2 which is what she'll use an adult dragon. Your heat lamp should be a bright white basking bulb, no colored lights, used in addition to your long tube uvb light. You're correct in placing your uvb unobstructed instead of on the mesh. Ambient temps arent bad at 80 to 85 but youll need to get a digital probe thermometer to accurately measure the temp of the surface she is sitting on. For a baby, you want the surface temp of her basking spot at 110 to 115 degrees. Welcome to the forum! She may not have a huge appetite at first since she is still adjusting to her new environment.

 

[AHBD]

A large tank is O.K in most instances for a baby but this one doesn't look well. It needs more than a 10 gal. but I wouldn't go with a huge tank yet until V.I.P is doing better. Good recommendation on lighting from Sue , definitely is important !

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I would agree, your lighting is great for him.
He is a tiny one. They do take a little time to
adjust to a new home. Larger tanks can be
overwhelming to them, so putting him in a smaller one for a short period of time can help.
Charmander is a great name, too!
You are using a T8 tube bulb for her? To me, it doesn't appear she is stargazing.
Let us know how she is doing.

Tracie

 

[PastelBeardie2]

Just a thought--what size are the crickets? She doesn't look like she's very big, and if the crickets are too large for her, that might be a reason she is ignoring them.

 

[xp29]

This is only day 3. Your beardie is still going through relocation stress. It can last from axfew days to a couple weeks. Give him/her a few more days to acclimate. Butcas mentioned make sure your feeding the correct sized insects.

 

[Selkie1993]

Hi there!

Hope your beardie is doing well. I'm so glad you joined our forum; you'll find lots of amazing people here
Like a few people mentioned, it could be location stress or the crickets are too big. Make sure to also adjust their environment accordingly for correct basking/cool spot temps.

I do have to add, your baby looks a bit thin and potentially dehydrated. Flavoring the water with a little pumpkin, butternut squash or other pure veggie baby food will encourage them to drink.

If possible, you may also want to do a fecal exam check once they settle down to check for any parasites. In the past, I've noticed they have a sleepy look when they are fighting off a parasite load.

keep us posted!

 

[Ksandefer94]

Ideally, for a baby, a 40 gallon is best when you can switch her out. Its tough to get a temperature gradient in a smaller tank-she will need a warm side and a cool side. The best uvb is a zoomed t5 10.0 or an Arcadia 12%; t8 can be used for now but Id go to the t5 when you get the larger tank. If you want to skip the 40 gallon size altogether, you can put her right in a 4x2x2 which is what she'll use an adult dragon. Your heat lamp should be a bright white basking bulb, no colored lights, used in addition to your long tube uvb light. You're correct in placing your uvb unobstructed instead of on the mesh. Ambient temps arent bad at 80 to 85 but youll need to get a digital probe thermometer to accurately measure the temp of the surface she is sitting on. For a baby, you want the surface temp of her basking spot at 110 to 115 degrees. Welcome to the forum! She may not have a huge appetite at first since she is still adjusting to her new environment.

I’m using the 75 watt exp terra basking bulb for her where my room is on the cooler end . I’m planning on ordering two 4x2x2’s today and getting them rushed shipping . I’ve tried hand feeding her the water but doesn’t seem to be taking . Maybe she’s just getting used to the new environment ? Also I have a better picture today to post on if she is star gazing or now . She doesn’t seem to be having her head as high right now so I THINK she might be good ? Also the beardie in question is charmander sorry . My little V.I.P is thriving and doing great . Had the same problem with her but have had her longer and now she’s in great health and moving around climbing and eating 6 crickets a feeding .

 

[Ksandefer94]

Hi there!

Hope your beardie is doing well. I'm so glad you joined our forum; you'll find lots of amazing people here
Like a few people mentioned, it could be location stress or the crickets are too big. Make sure to also adjust their environment accordingly for correct basking/cool spot temps.

I do have to add, your baby looks a bit thin and potentially dehydrated. Flavoring the water with a little pumpkin, butternut squash or other pure veggie baby food will encourage them to drink.

If possible, you may also want to do a fecal exam check once they settle down to check for any parasites. In the past, I've noticed they have a sleepy look when they are fighting off a parasite load.

keep us posted!

Yes I noticed when I got her she was a little thin and appeared dehydrated . I’m going to be giving her a lot of time today trying to get her to drink . I’ve been putting her in my sprayed hand . Didn’t know if it would get her sick spraying her nose or not . Didn’t want to give her a respiratory problem . I really appreciate all the support from everyone . So glad I found this community !!!

 

[Ksandefer94]

This is only day 3. Your beardie is still going through relocation stress. It can last from axfew days to a couple weeks. Give him/her a few more days to acclimate. Butcas mentioned make sure your feeding the correct sized insects.

Ok will do . What do you recommend for the correct sized insect you mentioned ? She ate a regular sized cricket that I feed my other beardie . But I’m willing to go out and get some other options other than the regular sized crickets and the options of fresh veggies I got them . I have kale, romaine lettuce, butternut squashe, mint leaves, and cucumbers all diced up nice and small I try to cut them once daily to keep them fresh and keep the veggies nice and hydrated with treated water while they are in the fridge .

 

[Sue E.]

Ok will do . What do you recommend for the correct sized insect you mentioned ? She ate a regular sized cricket that I feed my other beardie . But I’m willing to go out and get some other options other than the regular sized crickets and the options of fresh veggies I got them . I have kale, romaine lettuce, butternut squashe, mint leaves, and cucumbers all diced up nice and small I try to cut them once daily to keep them fresh and keep the veggies nice and hydrated with treated water while they are in the fridge .

Id use small crickets for a little baby. I still feed Kai medium crickets sometimes although hes a year old and can do large also.